Quote:TKD bashing did not start "nowadays." I did TKD for 25 years and heard plenty of TKD bashing throughout all that time. The reason TKD gets bashed is simple: it is not a very good martial art. TKD deserves to get bashed, does get bashed, and not much can (or should) be done to prevent it. How can we prevent TKD from going down the drain? TKD went down the drain years ago. As TKD turned changed from martial art to martial sport it went from bad to horrible--nowadays, most dojangs just teach a fancy, acrobatic form of foot tag.

Agreed. What can we do? Probably little. Korea exported countless instructors worldwide. They are now making money teaching a child activity, sport with an emphasis on false self esteem coaching. JMHO Today, colleges in Korea continue to pump out TKD instructors who travel abroad teaching fluff. Of course I know there are exceptions to the rule.If you as an individual want to learn SD, get back to the military system that 1st developed TKD.

Quote:Fileboy, so what is the difference between say, Kyokunshin or Shotokan and TKD? Why don't they get the bashing?

Simple! IMHO 2 reasons:#1 TKD is more popular & widespread, so bashing is easier as it is the target many set their eyes upon with little effort, as they (TKD nursery schools) are all over the place.

#2 much of the syllabus promoted by Korea & the colleges that graduate TKD master with a bachelor's degree emphasizes a sport, an Olympic sport at that & that is an accomplishment in & of itself, but that takes away from SD, it just plain common sense to me

I don't think it will change from the top much, as that (sport rules) was the way they distiguished themselves from the hated Japanese & their Karate.

Quote:The reason TKD gets bashed is simple: it is not a very good martial art. TKD deserves to get bashed, does get bashed, and not much can (or should) be done to prevent it.

Sorry bud, I will agree that the way it is TAUGHT here in the US in many dojangs (WTF TKD), that it does not represent an effective art/style. I feel the art itself is sound.

Unfortunately the exception does not make the rule. Of course there may be some strong TKD schools that put forth a somewhat effective system of SD. That is not the point. The public's perception is based on what they see & experience. That for the most part is a watered down baby sitting service or a martial sport, that only a select handful in some nations have a shot at making an Olympic team.

So anyone that does TKD is harmed by is much deserved poor reputation. Compare it to cops. Most cops are decent & hard working. They care, but are embarrassed by the rotten apples that surface & do great harm to the overall reputation. With us, it is the opposite. The exception is an apple that shines & when you bite into it, actually tastes good. I personnally go through great lengths to explain to people why what we do is not what most TKD schools do. But you know what, most people don't understand, its all TKD to them. In fact it all MAs to them, simply kicking & punching. It would be a better marketing strategy IMHO to call what we do Chang Hon or Oh Do Kwan, as TKD name is mud in many people's minds.

TKD gets bashed more than other, similar styles because it has a higher profile. I doubt there is a major city on earth without one (or more) TKD schools, plus it is an Olympic sport.

BTW, TKD "bashing" is not limited to martial artists. Back in 1988, the year TKD first appeared in the Olympics, Chicago Tribune columnist MIke Ryko wrote, "Taekwon do is still just a demonstration sport. I guess that's why jumping kicks to the face don't hurt yet."

Ironically, the first person who told me TKD was not a very good MA was a longtime Chicago cop. He was the friend of a friend's father, who was also a copper. When, at 13, I told him I was learning TKD, he said, "that s____ is garbage; take something else."

Quote:Ironically, the first person who told me TKD was not a very good MA was a longtime Chicago cop. He was the friend of a friend's father, who was also a copper. When, at 13, I told him I was learning TKD, he said, "that s____ is garbage; take something else."

That is ironic, lol. The person who introduced me to my first Moo Duk Kwan instructor was a Baltimore City Police Officer who was training with him. I was 16 working at a bar/resteraunt as a busboy where he was a bouncer on the weekends.

_________________________"The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be."

Quote:Fileboy, so what is the difference between say, Kyokunshin or Shotokan and TKD? Why don't they get the bashing?

The old school Kyokunshin praticianers that I've met were just drilled in basic punching and kicking for hours and hours. Therefore they'd through awesome straight punches and kicks, and were exetremly well conditioned. Alot of TKD schools seemed to be doing lots of fancy kicks which means that the people doing it know more kicks, alot of which would be poor to use in an SD situation, and therefore they're basic's may be lacking.However I've met some TKD that were very good at basic kicks and punches, as people who do Kyokunshin or Muay Thai.

Quote:Ironically, the first person who told me TKD was not a very good MA was a longtime Chicago cop. He was the friend of a friend's father, who was also a copper. When, at 13, I told him I was learning TKD, he said, "that s____ is garbage; take something else."

That is ironic, lol. The person who introduced me to my first Moo Duk Kwan instructor was a Baltimore City Police Officer who was training with him. I was 16 working at a bar/resteraunt as a busboy where he was a bouncer on the weekends.

Extremely ironic as my instructor is a former NYS Trooper that has numerous accounts of how TKD had been very instrumental in her years of service, both as a patroling officer AND a SD instructor at the academy !

I don't know a whole lot about TKD other than what i've seen, if you want a reason it gets bashed as SD though, #1 in my book is ANY emphasis on kicking to the head, a stupid, stupid thing to do in pretty much any "real life" SD encounter I'd think.

I realize that maybe some schools may teach a more rational curriculum, but fact is if you spend 80% of your time trying to tap eachother in the head with your feet then that's what you know how to do, right?

Also they really do seem to neglect teaching of basic punching mechanics in alot of the TKD i've seen.